Serious Business

What is the most popular type of transportation around HOPAC? Well, we still don't know... not at all due to a lack of effort. The kids went on their first "almost field trip" today; we went about five steps off campus. The objective was a merge of our Transportation topic with data handling for math. As shown in facial expressions, the kids were very diligent and excited about spotting cars, bajajis, buses, motorbikes, and more. The only thing was, we went out in two groups, with different findings. Consensus is that the first group saw the morning traffic jam, full of cars, and the second group saw the buses come out en force.

A Memorable Day

Yesterday Emily and I went grocery shopping, as usual. On the way home, traffic began to slow about two miles from our house. Soon we were at a standstill, surrounded by five lanes of traffic on a two lane road; drivers get very creative here.

During the next hour we moved about a hundred yards. The road became quite lively, with people vacating buses to walk home, and drivers leaving their vehicles to great friends. One man must have gone too far, because we heard him calling, "Bajaji yangu, uko wapi?" (My bajaji, where are you?) There seemed no hope of a clearing. Even motorcycles couldn't get through.

Emily and I saw that we were near our pastor's house. Somewhat desperate, we paid our driver, gathered our ten grocery bags, and left the gridlock. We were graciously received, with only moderate surprise. They kept our groceries and we made our way home on foot through all the sluggish vehicles, stopping on the way to visit with a friend stuck waiting in her van. Again, the atmosphere was quite festive, with more people than usual, the light of a full moon, and plenty of honking.

Our house mates were a bit surprised to see us back home with no groceries... except the chocolate bars of course. But no worries, we gathered the groceries after church today, came home through smooth flowing traffic, and restocked the mango basket.

Embarking on Our "Voyage of Discovery"

This is a quote from my principal's opening letter to parents this week. He wrote a unique sentence about each teacher. Mine says, "Grade 3 is still Miss Deal's class. She will be taking them on a really imaginative voyage of discovery through their curriculum this year." So off we go! 

The first three days were really fun; it's so nice to feel like I know what I'm doing. And, my new class is very sweet and exuberant. They cheered when we went to art, and when they got to take their first timed math tests. They shivered in anticipation as we began to investigate The Mystery of Christ. They listed all manner of transportation, from camels to golf carts, as we began our topic studies. Almost everyone turned in their first homework. One student came up and thanked me for our first math lesson. Another requested that the class pray aloud all together at the same time. And a student from last year brought me a gecko made out of a soda can. A good first week.

I pray Christ will love and build up these lovely children through me (in part!) this year.

Posted!

Here are some Kilimanjaro Photos! 

(Some photos are from before or after the hike, in Moshi or on the way with my parents.)

Tulipanda Kilimanjaro! (We climbed Kilimanjaro!)

5895 meters... 19,341 feet above sea level. My mom, dad, and I climbed Kilimanjaro last week with the help of our guide, Saumu, and multiple porters including Joseph and Daudi, pictured here. (We used Ahsante Tours, a great company.) The summit day began at midnight with a moonlit climb. The night was austere in beauty, from falling stars to gleaming snow. Each step required deep breathes due to decreasing oxygen. We reached the summit as the moon set and the sun rose, surrounded by 360 degrees resplendent with light, colors, and the textures of glaciers and wind-sculpted snow. Ascending and descending we enjoyed passing through five different vegetation zones. I think I'll add more photos later. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the simplicity of hiking and enjoying God's artistry for seven days. I was also very thankful for the opportunity to spend time with our guide and porters, Tanzanians who I learned from, laughed with, and got to practice speaking Swahili with each day.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

Mom and Dad are here now! They are a couple of my favorite people. They are enjoying the sights of Dar for the first time... Sights like two goats in a box on the back of a bicycle. Bicycles also carry stacks of eggs, hundreds of bread loaves, cages of chickens, et cetra. Dad likes to see the geckos, birds, and cows grazing along the road. Mom likes the women with tubs of bananas on their heads wearing pretty kangas (sarongs).

One of my favorite sites ever was when I was sitting in traffic, where vendors walk up and down with their wares. I was impressed with the bananas and machetes (pangas), but what really gave me joy was the guy with an aquarium full of tropical fish on top of his head. It is hard to take photos in traffic, so I drew a picture from memory too:)

Eye Contact

Hello All. Since school's been out, I've been a bit relaxed in blogging. I am in Kenya at an SIL retreat right now. It's been refreshing on many grounds: a deeper realization of God's grace, social time with people in SIL that I can identify with, enjoyment of God's creation (including a a mermaid's enjoyment of playing in seaweed laden waves!), and luxuries like lots of vegetables cut up for me at the buffet every lunch and dinner!

Before I came here I stopped with friends in Mombasa at an orphanage for babies. I realized that I've never really held an infant for a long period of time, nor fed one. There were older babies, but I really liked the infants, because they seemed hungry for eye contact, along with the milk. Eye contact is something I can give, so I felt happy to do so:) I was hoping that the eye contact communicated to them a little of Jesus' love for them, even though they don't have a mother to love them.

The Baby Life Rescue center is an amazing place; Selpher and Peter, a Kenyan couple who met during their service with YWAM, take care of up to 10 babies at a time in their home. They have two ladies who come help with the feeding, hand washing, cleaning, holding, changing, etc. Their prayer and aim is to have the kids adopted. Some go into foster care. When I was there I got to go with them to pick up Night and Philemon from the child agency of the government. Night, 11 days old, and Philemon, 1 year, were orphaned days earlier when their mother died in prison. Selpher and Peter have very sweet countenances and humbly love the kids. They would like to move to a larger place, where the kids could have outdoor play areas and they could take in more babies in need.